Jackson Walker proudly congratulates Julia W. Mann on being named one of this year’s leading women in San Antonio for her leadership and dedication to improving the Firm, the legal industry, and the local community. On August 26, 2021, she was presented with a Women’s Leadership Award from the San Antonio Business Journal in honor of her commitment to service.
In 2019, Julia was appointed the managing partner of our San Antonio office, making her the first woman to hold that position since the office opened in 1991, and the second woman to serve as an office managing partner in the Firm’s 134-year history. Since her appointment, she has led the office during one of the Firm’s best financial years ever—and through an unprecedented global pandemic that transformed the business world. As companies dealt with an unpredictable virus, a financial downturn, and an oil and gas crisis, Julia participated in numerous executive meetings to determine how Jackson Walker would maintain its presence for both clients and employees in a virtual world.
Related: ‘San Antonio Woman’ Spotlights Julia Mann As She Celebrates a Milestone Year »
One of her top goals for the upcoming year is to emerge from the pandemic with the Firm’s culture squarely intact. “Our culture is our secret sauce, and after months of remote work, it is time to re-engage in direct communication, celebrate our successes as a group, and listen to each other intently,” she noted.
Beyond her role as managing partner, Julia serves on the Firm’s Management, Compensation, Recruiting, and Statewide Business Development committees. For several years, she also led the Jackson Walker Women (JW2) initiative in San Antonio, implementing programs to help women attorneys build strong networks and sustain successful careers.
She also maintains a full-time practice as a litigator. Whether it is a dispute with a customer, a supplier, an employee or even their own business partner, Julia utilizes her knowledge of the client’s industry combined with the avenues for dispute resolution to reach an outcome consistent with the client’s business goals. Representing clients on both sides of the docket, she has appeared in matters in 40 counties across Texas and Oklahoma. With the experience she has acquired, she earned her place as chair of the litigation practice in San Antonio in 2013, a position she held until she assumed the position of managing partner.
“I have always strived to be a great attorney and represent my clients to the very best of my ability, as representing others in the courtroom is a privilege and an honor,” Julia said. “Becoming a working mother was my moment of empowerment. It was a license to take charge of my career for the betterment of my family and to lead by example for my daughters.”
“Becoming a working mother was my moment of empowerment. It was a license to take charge of my career for the betterment of my family and to lead by example for my daughters.”
Throughout her career, Julia has led by example through her investment in the community. She has volunteered countless hours to local organizations as the Zoo Ball Sponsorship Chair, a Board Member of the American Cancer Society South Texas chapter, a past president of the San Antonio Rose Chapter of National Charity League, a member of the Founder’s Council of the Texas Biomedical Research Institute, a member of the Leadership San Antonio Class of 2011, a former Board Member of the Bexar County Women’s Bar Association, a Nominating Committee member of the San Antonio Bar Association, and the former president of the William S. Sessions American Inns of Court. Additionally, she recently chaired Jackson Walker’s Food from the Bar team, which raised food and monetary donations for the San Antonio Food Bank.
On receiving a Women’s Leadership Award, Julia said, “It is an incredible honor to be recognized among women who are making a difference within our organizations and across San Antonio.”
In a San Antonio Business Journal article featuring this year’s Women’s Leadership Awards recipients leading up to the event, Julia shared what advice she would give herself when she was younger. In the article, she said, “Be yourself and capitalize on your own strengths. For years, I thought the only way to be a great litigator was to be like the men I saw in the courtroom. Although I was not terrible at trying to emulate their presentation styles, it was not authentic. What is far more compelling and successful is for me to be true to myself, be prepared, act poised, and present my client’s arguments with intelligence and grace.”
To view Julia’s Q&A with the Business Journal, see “Women’s Leadership Awards: Julia Mann” (subscription required).
Jackson Walker proudly celebrates Julia’s contributions to the Firm and local community. To explore the impact of attorneys like Julia who dedicate their time and resources to serve others, visit our Diversity & Inclusion page.